St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-17
Part Taken by Mortimer in the Growth
and Progress Of st. Paul, the
Capital City.
Sketch of the Scandinavian Movement
from Its Infancy---0ne- Fifth of the
Population Of the City.
Scandinavian Homes and Social Influ-
ence---The Steady Improvement of
Their Material Condition.
Portraits and Sketches of Prominent
Scandinavians Among Business and
Professional Men Generally.

st. Paul has not as large proportion
ate population of ScandinavianS as her
sister city, and, as rule, that portion of
her people has not taken the same rank,
but, as a writer in ''Scandinavia' says,
the people, as rule, are prosperous,
thrifty and generally respected, and
have fair share of culture and intelli-
gence. There are some delightful
social circles, which grace homes as re-
fined and pleasant us can be found any
where, and while Il large number of the
ScandinavianS who have made their
homes there are, from the necessities of
the case, ''heWerS of wood and drawers
OF water for the world at large, there
is Il degree of average intelligence which
will compare well with any nationality
represented in the city to-day. Law
abiding. Woodworking and saving, they
occupy in majority of cases their own
homes. and take their share of response
bility in state and municipal affairs.
SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZA-
TONS.
ReligiouSly. the wants of the Scandi-
naVian population are well supplied.
There are four Swedish, four Norwegian
and two Danish churches which hold
regular services, with an aggregate
membership of about $500 families.
There is Il scandinavian Young Mems
Christian association, which is doing Il
satisfactory work. and Norwegian
Temperance society which has mem
berShip of about fifty persons. The
Norwegian Infantry company and Vega
Literary and Normanna Library so
cetieS are tlouriShing organizations. Its
press has two able Scandina-
Wan representatives in Nord-
weston and Skaffaren, both flourish
ing weeklies; and in its professional and
business men st. Paul numbers many
ScandinavianS of worth and ability.
The only official representative of the
Scandinavian mother countries residing
in st. Paul is Hagbarth Sahlgaard, Esq.
who. as consul for the kingdom of Nor
way and Sweden. has administered the
affairs of his Office in such manner as
to merit the satisfaction of the home
government and to win the respect and
confidence of those with whom he has
been brought into official relations. The
Danish consul for Minnesota, f. $. Chris
Jensen, Esq, resides at Rush City. A
picture of Mr.. Sahlgaard is published in
this issue.
TIE INFIUN OF SCANDINAVIAN
city after the war, although there were
some settlers of Scandinavian origin to
be found there as far back as 1855.
Among those now living who date their
residence from that period is the ven
cradle John Swanson, who came 10 the
state with the first colony of settlers
from Sweden in the year 1858, and set
tied in the St. CroiX valley. A year or
two later he removed to st. Paul, and
has spent large share of his life since
then in that city, although his residence
has been broken somewhat by business
ventures elsewhere. His relation of
incidents of the pioneer life of that day
are interesting. Growing steadily since
then with the enlarging population of
the city, representatives of the three
Scandinavian nations have kept pace
in numbers with the city's growth, until
they now number about One-tifth OF the
whole number of people. OF these,
those of Swedish birth exceed in num-
berS the NorwegianS and Danes.
THE SCANDINAVIAN PRESS
has two able representatives in st. Paul
in Skaffaren and Northwestern as home
and WELD considerable influence
throughout the state: Northwestern was
started in June, 1881, by the Northwestern
Publishing company, consisting of
prominent and leading Scandinavians of
ADMINISTRATIVE incOrpOratOrS being ).
ID. Peterson, l.. K. Aaker, F. S. Chris
Jensen, George II. Johnson, A. E. Rice,
Johh ThOrsgaard, John Eriksen, p. G.
Sletten, X. e. Helgesen, Soren LiStoe,
A. E. Johnson, A. l.. Alness. A. A.
Brown and L. J. Markhus. The COM
g.. airy, 1885, who had been its chief editor
and manager since shortly after the
paper was started. The paper has had
a remarkable success, having in these
few years worked up circulation of
over 1900. The papers programme is
free, liberal, especially devoted to the
interests of the farming class, is indie
pendent Republican in politics and alb
Solutely neutral in religious matters.
Chr. Brandt lately sold his paper and
assumed an editorial position for Min
neSota and Dakota states on the Chicago
paper, Scandinavian. Skaffaren was
originally started in Red Wing, Mimi,
in 1876. and was subsequently removed
to st. Paul, where it was for a time pub
liShed by private individuals. In 1882
the Lutheran Publication society of the
Northwest was organized and became
corporate body, purchasing Skaffaren
and the Minnesota Stats Tidning, con-
solidating the same. This corporation
10 sui continuing Jllc puDllCdliOH Vi Tic
paper as political weekly newspaper,
devoting one page to church matters.
Skatfaren is the Oldest Swedish news
paper in the Northwest, has large sub
scription list and yields naturally a
powerful influence among the Swedish
Americans of the Northwest. 1t has
always staunchly supported the Repub-
lican party, and is one of the party'S
mainstayS in the cosmopolitan
state of Minnesota. 1t is the
only Swedish paper published
at st. Paul, Mimi, editor-in-chief, B.
Anderson; editor church department,
Rev. L. G. Amin; general manager,
A. P. J. Goldberg; book-keeper, o. Lone
gren. 1t is also fact worth mentioning
that the Skaffaren sided with the Demo-
cratic party in the last state campaign.
In adding to the home papers, Hem
landet, of Chicago, has branch office
in st. Paul, managed by Herman
Stockestrom, Esq, an able writer and
excellent business man, under whose
supervision the paper has become a
strong factor in business and influence
in Minnesota. Svenska FolketS It'd
ming, Of Minneapolis, also maintains a
branch Office in st. Paul, which is in
charge of August Anderson as
editor of the st. Paul department, who
has worked up for it a reputation for
excellence which is well deserved. An
editorial by Mr.. Stockenstrom is part
of this edition of the GLOBE.
Biographical.